A Fading Shadow
by LadyThompson
Summary: Emperor Dornkirk has died part of the way through the series. Folken has assumed his dutie as ruler, and has come to his senses about the way things are. The way things must be. And forgiveness for Zaibach's crimes is so hard to come by...


"A Fading Shadow." 

Okay, here we have a departure from my previous wish not to play Van at all. The idea for this came about in a random RPG with a friend of mine, Threshie. I loved it very much and bothered her endlessly...much more so, I think, than she cared for. At any rate, I think you might enjoy this bit. It may be lengthened later, however I am having yet another life crisis, and so my writing suffers.

I also would like to apologize in advance to Hitomi fans. I have never played or written for Hitomi before. I have never cared much, if at all, for Hitomi in the past and only now have taken a slight interest in her. So my portrayal may be inaccurate in the views of some. Again, I apologize. (To my credit, I am portraying more how I think Van would see her and am also using her to help express my frustration at how moody some women can be.)

The premise of this story is as follows: Emperor Dornkirk died before being able to complete his mission. Folken was made emperor of Zaibach. Thus, he was given a chance to come to his senses before having to die to fix things. All other countries are busy repairing themselves after the war, and are trying their best to get along. Zaibach, however, is getting a little lost in this shuffle. Van is taking it upon himself to help everyone get along.

And now, on to the story. Bon Apetite.

The door slammed in Van's face.  
"Go away"  
He couldn't help but blink for a moment. Surprisingly, he had not grown used to the doors she slammed in his face. Hitomi was such a complete mystery to him. So volatile. So easily upset. And for no reason, either. Her outbursts seemed completely unrelated to current events. At least to him. Doubtless, she found herself a very reasonable person.  
"...Hitomi"  
"Go away!" she shouted, accompanying her shout by a shoe hitting the door. "And don't tell me you're sorry either, you jerk"  
"...alright..."

Van walked away, not knowing what else to say. There never was anything he could do. It was the same with the weather. Sometimes it rained, sometimes it thundered. There was nothing the creatures suffering the storm could do to stop it.  
He decided that he ought to see how the construction was coming along.

He had barely made it to the gates of the palace when Pietroliu, his advisor, caught him.  
"Damnit!" Van shouted at Pietroliu. Pietroliu bowed. He knew that Van did not hate him, but rather that with him came bad news or annoying reminders, and so Van had learned to loathe his presence.  
"Your majesty, you must prepare for a meeting, as soon as possible"  
"...thanks for the timely warning"  
"It was an emergency, your majesty. Do you recall the last meeting of the Coalition"  
"Yes"  
"Somewhere along the line, the subject drifted to Zaibach, as it invariably does. Everyone is demanding reparations from Zaibach. Reparations and apologies"  
"Yes. And a representative was sent to talk to Zaibach afterwards. With how little the price is, the matter was dropped. "Zaibach would have to be insane not to agree"  
"I must report, then, that Zaibach is insane"  
"They didn't agree?" Van said with great frustration. How could they have not agreed? It was so simple.  
"That is correct, your majesty. And now the Coalition has decided that Zaibach must be divided and distributed to other nations"  
"The Coalition wants to invade? But we've got too much work to try and rebuild. No one can have a war just now. They won't even try to resolve it peacefully"  
"They were going to invade. However, our representative has convinced them not to. Not yet. And that is what this meeting is for"  
"And I am to speak with the Coalition about this?" Van was exasperated at the thought of trying to convince all those other countries to listen to him. He was not good with such things. It had often been said that his brother had taken the all the tact and diplomacy, leaving Van with none of his own.  
"No. The Coalition is done speaking about the matter. They have consented to allow you to try and reach some sort of agreement with Zaibach"  
"...Zaibach"  
Pietroliu bowed his head.  
"Yes, your majesty"  
Van sighed.  
"Ready a ship for me. I will return here within one hour. I'll see if I can bring someone along with me. If I can not find someone else, I want for you to come with me"  
"Yes, your majesty." Pietroliu bowed once more.

It would seem that he should have felt insulted that he was the last person Van would have wanted to spend time with, but he knew better. Van saw enough of him all the time that he needed a break every once in awhile. And besides, with Van gone, the country was entrusted to Pietroliu. Pietroliu knew that Van wouldn't leave Fanelia in the hands of anyone who wasn't worthy in his eyes. It was a very honorable position and he did his best in it.  
He watched Van walk away. The poor king was always troubled. There was still a great deal of Fanelia to be rebuilt. There was still quite a bit of tension amongst different countries, particularly directed against Asturia and Zaibach. Zaibach, of course, was responsible for the war and most of the damage. Asturia was cowardly and had helped Zaibach quite a bit. There were cries of treachery and hatred, and getting along was more difficult these days. Thankfully, Van was well-respected by all. Fanelia had lost quite a bit during the war and yet was still forgiving towards its former enemies. Fanelia was seen as a shining example of honor and mananomous behavior.  
And Van did it without lowering his head for a moment.

Van knocked on Hitomi's door. There was no answer. Van sighed. Hitomi hated him. Again.  
He knocked several times more. Finally, he tired of this and pounded on it loudly. A very startled Hitomi came to the door, her headphones newly removed from her head.  
"Van...?" Hitomi inquired warily.  
"Hitomi, I have to leave for a meeting"  
Hitomi gave a 'hmph' and turned away.  
"Leave, then. I don't know if I want to see you anymore"  
Van opted not to sigh again. Sighing too much just might make a person run out of oxygen.  
"I'll be gone for a week"  
"Good"  
"...I was going to ask you to come with me"  
Van's suggestion made Hitomi stop for a moment and take notice. She had been frustrated over not having anything to do, and now he was asking her to help him with something. She was left a little stunned.  
"I'm sorry I bothered you," he said as he turned to leave.  
"...Van"  
Hitomi walked after him.  
"I'll go with you, Van," she said with a smile. "I'd be happy to"  
Van smiled slightly, disturbed as always at her quick change of pace. She made little sense. He wished he knew what it was, exactly, that he had done to make her stop being such a...raving maniac. But if he asked, he'd certainly make her angry again. She never seemed to believe that she acted like that. And he could never understand why she got so angry. He didn't think he was doing anything wrong, at least not anything anyone else had brought to his attention.  
She just confused the hell out of him.

After Hitomi packed some things in her duffel bag, the two headed towards the ship.  
"Aren't you going to pack anything"  
"No. My advisor will see that I have everything I need"  
"...oh"  
Hitomi was not used to Van having so many other people take care of things for him. She still saw him as the young independent man who depended on noone. It didn't seem to suit him that he had someone else doing these things. But then...he didn't have the time anymore, did he?

The ship was still being prepared when the two arrived back. Van took the time to have a last-minute talk with his advisor about the situation. Van left instructions that, should he or his crew not come back within one weeks time, that men were to be sent after him and the Coalition was to be put on alert. He was not taking chances. Trusting Zaibach was not something anyone was prepared to do just yet.  
He also left instructions for Pietroliu to inform Mereru of his leaving. It was not that he didn't want to tell her goodbye. It was simply that this was an emergency and that if he were to try to say goodbye to her, her reaction would most likely cause him to crack. He'd had enough emotion for one day. He supposed it was good, in a way, that he was going to visit his brother. The emotionless and dead nature of him and of his country would be a good contrast to the very high emotions running around as of late. He certainly would appreciate it more after spending time in that place.

As they entered into Zaibach airspace, the ship grew eerily quiet. There was quite a bit of rubble about this place. Even though Folken had been the one to offer a truce and to end the fighting, he was not afforded any courtesy. Zaibach had been banned from having any weapons or mechanized instruments of war, and any they had were taken away. This left them wide open for attacks from other angry nations. Zaibach had, thanks to the amount of debt it was decided that they owed in reparations, hardly been able to rebuild much of anything that was destroyed. Not a sound was uttered until the ship landed. The ship's captain ordered the crew to check the ship to ensure that it was still sound and in tact. This was also part of the mistrust. They wished to be ready to bolt at any moment.

It took ten minutes for anyone to greet the group. The fortress suffered a terrible lack of manpower and it was all anyone could do to find someone for hostess duty.  
"I apologize for the delay, your majesty," said the young man. "The Emperor wishes to see you now, but first asks that you leave your weapons with your ship"  
Van raised an eyebrow. "And does he not find this the least bit suspicious"  
The young man bowed.  
"The Emperor feels that it would be unfair for you to have such an advantage when Zaibach has been banned from having weapons, your majesty"  
Van was about to protest this once more when Hitomi put her hand on his arm.  
"It will be fine, Van. You know him. He won't hurt you. Not now"  
After a moment, Van nodded his head in agreement and handed his sword to the captain of the ship. The young hostess then led Van and Hitomi in.

Hitomi watched Van as they walked. He looked so much like his brother in this place. That lifeless expression and...something she couldn't quite place. Just a general air of despair and not wanting to be anywhere near this place. She felt badly for Folken. While Van had all the help in the world, no one was willing to do anything at all for his brother. She knew that Zaibach had caused a lot of pain and suffering, but that didn't mean they didn't deserve help. They were good people who had simply been mislead.  
The hostess walked into the meeting room to inform the Emperor that the two were there. While they awaited his return, Hitomi took Van's hand in hers and gave it a squeeze, just to let him know she was there for him. He didn't show it, but she knew he appreciated it.

Seated at a large table were the four current generals, two advisors and the Emperor. While not all of the faces were familiar, two of them stood out quite well. Folken, of course, though he was not looking his usual self. He was tired and thin. Stress was getting to him. And there was also a certain short-tempered young man who held less than amiable feelings for either of the guests. Rumors flew around about how it happened, but however it had, Dirandau had somehow taken the rank of general. It was generally felt that someone viewed as a war criminal should be tried and put to death. Fanelia, Zaibach's only advocate in the Coalition, had fought for some decency and thus absolved Zaibach of most of its crimes during the war. And because Zaibach depended so heavily upon military structure in order that it be able to function, they were allowed to keep their military order.  
Dirandau glowered at Van and Hitomi as they sat down. Knowing that Van was the only person on Gaea who could possibly help his country and had, inadvertently, saved his life was not an easy thing for Dirandau. He felt no gratitude for this. Not enough to overcome his hatred. He felt no gratitude for anyone. Not for these fools who worked for peace that he could never share.

Folken stood to acknowledge Van's presence. He bowed his head.  
"I thank you for coming here, Fanelia. I should hope"  
"It is no small inconvenience, Zaibach. I don't mean to be rude, but I would like to get right down to business. If you don't mind"  
Folken was a bit upset over Van's curt words. No matter how profusely or eloquently he might apologize, his brother was never going to forgive him, or so it seemed. He had hope that one day his brother would, not only for his sake but for Van's as well. Holding on to hatred is never good. He often feared how Van might become when he spoke with Dirandau. He felt that his brother was doing a good job From what he could gather by the skim reports he received and did not wish for Van to have this ruined by something so foolish.  
"Very well, then. Please sit down," he said while doing so himself. "Your advisor sent us word that you had some urgent matter to discuss with us"  
"Yes. In the last meeting of the Coalition, it was decided that if you do not give in to their demands, they will divide Zaibach amongst themselves"  
Dirandau tensed.  
"Again! They constantly give new demands and expect us to give in to every one. We can't possibly do that and they know"  
"General, please," Folken implored that Dirandau be quiet. Dirandau sat back in his chair in silence, complying only to help present a unified front. Behind the scenes, he rarely did a damn thing that Folken asked. It was a wonder that Folken even let Dirandau stay on in the military. Perhaps because he felt guilty for all the injustice Dirandau had suffered without any honorable purpose behind it.  
"Fanelia, Zaibach is always grateful that you give us voice in the courts when it is so often denied to us. However, we can not give in to these demands"  
"If you do not, you will not have a country to lead"  
"Then I shall have none either way. They demand that we send soldiers that we do not have, as well as funds and resources that are not available. Our alliance with Asturia provided us with the means to accomplish our goals. We ourselves can produce nothing"  
"I can hardly see how this is true. You have been allowed to maintain your military structure. You have been asked only twice before to send soldiers to help other countries rebuild. Because they can not be identified, it has not been demanded that you return foreign soldiers and citizens. Therefore, you have more people that you could send"  
"Those soldiers are needed at home. We can hardly protect ourselves as it is now that we have no weapons. We too need to rebuild. And there is also the matter of transporting these soldiers to other countries. We do not have the means to do that. We managed it the two previous times by the generosity of Asturia. However, my advisors have been informed that we will no longer be receiving aid from Asturia, and so we can not afford to do this again"  
"...You're telling me you have nothing"  
"We once had hope and pride, but I'm afraid that has been taken as well"  
Folken's eyes had never looked so jaded and dull. It made Hitomi wish to cry looking at them. So sad. So very sad.  
"They will show you no mercy, Zaibach"  
"We have no right to ask that. I have already been told this many times. All I ask is a little sense. We will take care of ourselves as best as we can if we are left alone. However, we can not fulfill these obligations. We do not have the ability"  
"There has to be something you can do. You can't possibly have nothing."

Dirandau stood up at that point, not able to take this anymore. To tally his total losses, he'd lost his honor, his men, his country, and his whole world. His Emperor, the only one he pledged loyalty to, was dead. And in his place, someone whom he felt was not fit to rule. Indeed...Folken's first action was to sign a surrender. What kind of leader does that! Not one who should be leading Zaibach. Especially not through a crisis.  
He lay his hands on the table and leaned against it. Folken decided it best to let Dirandau speak at this point. He had nothing more that he could say which Van might listen to.

"Alright, since you can't understand our Emperor, listen to me. We can not and will not pay the things demanded of us. I will not allow any more of my soldiers to be defiled by doing your petty slave work. Furthermore, if we continue to suffer attacks and receive no protection or reparations ourselves, we will be forced to obtain weapons and to use them to the fullest extent possible"  
"General, that is quite enough. I came here of my own goodwill and do not need to have you screaming at me"  
"Why don't you leave, then?" Dirandau asked.  
Van looked to Folken.  
"I came here to talk to you, and instead I am expected to have a petty argument with one of your generals"  
Folken was suffering one of the headaches that came with increasing frequency these days, and had not quite been paying attention. He was so used to these outbursts by now that he hardly noticed.  
"I apologize about that. General Dirandau, you are dismissed. I will send for you later"  
Dirandau glared at Folken for a moment before responding. It was well known that he planned to assassinate Folken. It was only a matter of how soon he got to the point where he couldn't take it anymore. And that looked to be very soon.  
"Very well, your 'majesty.' I shall be in my quarters"  
Dirandau left, but not without giving one last evil look in Van's direction. Hitomi shuddered. She couldn't stand looking in his eyes, and every time she did, they were worse than the last. He made her feel ill.

"And you still have that madman on your staff"  
"I understand that you and he have your differences. However, the past must be put away if we are to move on to the future"  
"He certainly isn't giving up the past"  
"And there is nothing I can do for him at the present time with the needs of my country and the demands placed upon us. We simply do not have the resources or the time"  
"You are going to be attacked"  
"Yes. And my people are ready to rebel and lead their own war"  
Van was shocked to hear this. Though they had many crimes, the people of Zaibach could always be counted on for their loyalty.  
"I know it is a shock. However, there is only so much that people can take. The loyalty with which Emperor Dornkirk was served came about because this country had not known a time before when it did not know hunger or fear. Under the Emperor, the people had safety and prosperity. They are now thrown back into poverty and despair. Despair will drive men insane and my people suffer a tremendous amount of it"  
"And you wanted me to join you"  
"I have made my apologies and made known my regrets. I can do no more"  
"You won't even try"  
"I have. And if the Coalition will not even give me a chance to speak, how am I to be able to try and work this out"  
"They won't let you speak because they are tired of hearing you lie"  
Folken shut his eyes.  
"A man does not give a truce as means for gaining an advantage when he could more easily continue fighting. Did they not take inventory of the weapons taken away from us? There was more than enough in those supplies to pay over half these reparations. We could have easily taken over Gaea if that were our aim"  
"No. You would have been stopped."

The remaining generals and the advisors remained silent. They knew there was nothing that could be done. Folken was the only one who was trying any longer.

"Is there no way that they might listen to one of my advisors? Or some other official, perhaps? I know my actions have been such that I would not be accepted there, but we need at least some sort of representation"  
"You're lucky to even have me"  
Folken sighed, his eyes half-lidded. The word luck had reminded him of his two girls. He had sent them away just before all this was happening. He wanted them to be protected.  
"I am thankful for that, Fanelia"  
Folken shut his eyes and leaned his head against his hands.  
"Generals, if you would go and ready yourselves for invasion, and please inform General Albatou to do the same"  
The Generals responded with a "Yes, your majesty," and left the room. The advisors were sent away as well, for there was no advice they could give him at this point.

Van looked at Folken for some time, waiting for him to say something. He had assumed that Folken had ordered everyone away so that he could talk privately with Van.  
"...Brother"  
Folken glanced over at Van. He looked so very tired. He obviously hadn't been sleeping well for a long time.  
"You are important to me, Van," he said. "No matter what has happened, I always had your best interests in mind"  
"My best interests? You could have come home. I was pretty interested in having that happen"  
Folken nodded.  
"I was blind for many years. I should have been there for you"  
"You weren't and you never will"  
Van rose to leave.  
"I am sorry that you will not come to some agreement with the Coalition."

Hitomi also rose from her chair, but she did not follow Van. She was stubborn when it came to helping others, as were her friends in this place. Indeed, perhaps that was why she fit in so well.  
"Forgive me, but...are you really going to give up so easily"  
"Choices were made long ago. There is no way to change it now"  
"There is always a way"  
There was a tinge of despairing amusement in Folken's eye.  
"If one were found, I would do all in my power to use it."

She looked deep within Folken. She saw how much he wanted peace, how much he had given up for it. And she saw the despair and the loss of hope. It was painful. So very painful.  
"You can't give up. You can't"  
Folken leaned back a bit in his chair, glancing up at Hitomi quite effortlessly.  
"I have commited atrocities and it is dictated by laws of balance that these atrocities be returned. I was weak and did not think things through as well as I should have. For that, I must be faulted. Because I have done that, because I tried to force others to do the same, it is Fate's perogative that these misunderstandings be sent back to me"  
He saw her terrible look of worry.  
"Do not worry about me. Take care of Van and keep faith in yourself. You will be fine."

Van finally took Hitomi by the arm and led her away. She glanced back at the sad and lonely figure at the table. He was not so much a man as he was a spectre, a shade that would dissapear like a shadow in the noon sun.

He soon faded from view and from the world, but never from her memory and the memory of those who knew him.

Author's Notes:  
There is no plan to continue this into a large story. This was more an attempt to get a little personal resolution than anything else. It started as a random RPG with a friend of mine when I decided I wanted to play Van, and after a long time of prodding, she agreed to play Folken. A nice chance to see how others might portray Folken Because I don't read fan-fic as often as I should...meaning I never really get a chance anymore to read it  
I was more drawn, I think, to the politics of it and that is what I had planned to concentrate on in this story. However, I was drawn into the depression of Folken and therefore I decided to give him some attention. He can be quite demanding sometimes. Like one of those actors from older days, when a diva was catered to by an entire studio.  
I had also planned on having a little bit of Mereru in here. However, due to the fact that I was being pounced on repeatedly and bothered to no end by a little annoying bundle of fur, I didn't feel I could properly write Van's reaction to her, as he seems completely indifferent to her constant attacks.

I apologize that I do not write as much as I used to. If you have not already, I suggest you check out, "A Cup of Tea," or whatever the thing is named. The author's name is Shelley Quills Webster. The story has about fifty chapters already written, though only about four are up on the net. I am a co-writer of that story. So, if you like my portrayal of Folken, I believe you'll find this enjoyable as well. And lucky for some, the usual outpouring of violence is noticeably missing from that story. (As it was in this story.)

Anyway, I am going to attempt to finish the last chapter of Weapon of War. After that, I will think about my next chapter story. Or I may just write a series of one-shots.


End file.
